1. Technical Field
This invention relates to high voltage wire harnesses such as those used on electrically powered vehicles, and more specifically to the terminals used to connect the wires of such a harness to other components, such as a battery or other energy-storage system.
2. Background Art
Electrically powered automotive vehicles (including, but not limited to, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel-cell vehicles) generally utilize a high voltage (HV) battery, capacitor, or other energy storage system to store electric energy and deliver it to the electric traction motor. In many cases, a main wire harness is connected to one or more HV batteries at a pair of battery terminals. During the initial assembly of the vehicle and during certain service or maintenance operations, the wire harness terminals must be connected to and/or disconnected from the battery terminals. To speed and simplify such operations, the positive and negative battery terminals may be located close to one another, and the corresponding wire harness terminals are likewise closely adjacent one another at the end of the harness.
It is known to provide a terminal cover that fits over and protects both the positive and negative battery terminals and/or the wire harness terminals connected thereto during vehicle operation. The terminal cover must, however, be removed to allow the wire harness terminals to be connected to or disconnected from the battery terminals. When the cover is removed, both the battery terminals and wire harness terminals are exposed and so it is possible for a tool used to drive the threaded fastener to contact both the positive and negative terminals simultaneously, thereby causing a short-circuit condition.
An electric powertrain system may be designed such that a manual switch and/or a service disconnect must be actuated prior to gaining access to the HV harness connection. There is, however, no guarantee as to the state of an inverter and/or the charge on a capacitor. If the vehicle electrical system is ON and the inverter is not aware that the HV harness connection to the battery is being accessed, there may still be a high voltage potential on the harness. If a service technician gains access to these harness/battery connections before the electric charge on the bus has dissipated, and a tool or other implement used by the technician slips or falls into contact with the positive and negative terminals, this could result in a short circuit of the HV capacitor in the powertrain.